I’m surprised by how much action I see in the early hours of the morning around Austin. The airport in Austin is busy, the roads fill with people heading to work, and the sun starts rising over my favorite city in the world.  

Austin is the second highest-ranking city in the world (Hangzhou, China is #1) for the highest number of millionaire residents, according to a recent study by Henley & Partners.  

Opportunities and hope are a big draw for people and Tesla is playing a major role in the shaping of the new Austin. This article will explain why. 

GIGA TEXAS: JULY 2020 – PRESENT

The beginnings: In July 2020, I made trips 2 to 3 times a week to East Austin to start observing the groundbreaking of Tesla’s Gigafactory, in Texas. There, amid the dust and the sound of massive earthmoving machines, I met Joe Tegtmeyer, Jeff, Roberts, and Jack Farrington. All three were creating drone videos of Giga Texas’ progress, and all were convinced of the positive impact Tesla was having on Austin.

Tesla’s HQ – in a massive structure: In October 2021, Elon Musk announced that Tesla’s Global HQ would be Giga Texas. 

Attracting investors and talent: Meanwhile, Austin attracted the second-highest number of millionaire residents in the world, and many workers and businesses relocated to Texas finding low taxes were a big advantage during a time when many people were working remotely. 

Producing best-selling vehicles at scale: Today, Tesla’s beautiful Gigafactory at “1 Tesla Road” is established and producing Model Y vehicles at incredible speed!

In April, Tesla announced Giga Texas is building 4K Model Y per week!  This is being done with the hard work of thousands of employees. 

Busy gigafactory: An Uber driver told me that “GigaTexas has rock concert vibes, only at 5 AM in the morning! There’s double-decker buses, trams, cars lined up, 4-5 full parking lots, factory full swing!” 

AUSTIN  IS A LEADER IN JOBS

Austin is the #2 city in the nation for overall employment opportunity and earning potential in a study published by Chekr, an HR tech firm, in April 2023.  Having a job, making an honest living is a big part of building a happy, productive life.

Tesla’s 2022 Impact Report says,  

“Tesla created over 128,000 direct jobs in a decade. Our employee count has grown approximately 70-fold over the past decade—and we continue to hire extensively. Gigafactory Texas and Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg are already recruiting for thousands of jobs.”

Tesla’s Careers website lists hundreds of jobs in Austin, giving the opportunity not only to make a living with great benefits but also to be a part of building a sustainable energy future. 

CONCLUSION

Tesla made Austin its HQ and is a mass producer of both JOBS and VEHICLES.

Austin is a destination for some of the nation’s most successful investors and business people.  

The manufacturing at scale we see at Giga Texas is an example for other vehicle manufacturers and also shows how important manufacturing is to the economy of the USA. 

Giga Texas will put Austin, Texas on the map as a leader in manufacturing in the USA! 

-Pictured below with this article is the beautiful best-selling Model Y

-Elon Musk at Cyber Rodeo in April 2022 delivering the first Model Ys made in Texas

-Giga Texas at 1 Tesla Road, the HQ for Tesla.

Article by Gail Alfar, all rights reserved.  Sources referenced in article are Tesla 2022 Impact Report,  @HenleyPartners  @Checkr @peterdog @tegtmeyer @jackfarrington All Images Courtesy @Tesla Inc.